World Boxing Council

The World Boxing Council (WBC) is one of four major organizations which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the IBF, WBA and WBO. Owing to the many historically high profile bouts sanctioned by the organization and legendary fighters who have been recognised as WBC World champions, the organization still remains one of the major four sanctioning bodies. All four organizations however recognise the legitimacy of each other and each have interwoven histories dating back several decades.

History

It was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Puerto Rico, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil. Representatives met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of Adolfo López Mateos, then President of Mexico, to form an international organization to unify all commissions of the world to control the expansion of boxing.

The groups that historically had recognized several boxers as champions included the New York State Athletic Commission, the National Boxing Association of the United States, the European Boxing Union and the British Boxing Board of Control, but for the most part, these groups lacked the all-encompassing "international" status they claimed.